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The Shepherd

By: Frederick Forsyth
Narrated by: James Konicek
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Publisher's summary

It is Christmas Eve, 1957. Flying home, on leave from Germany, he is alone in the cockpit of the Vampire. Sixty-six minutes of flying time, with the descent and landing - destination Lakenheath. No problem, all routine procedures.Then, out over the North Sea, the fog begins to close in. Radio contact ceases and the compass goes haywire. Suddenly, out of the mist, appears a WorldWar II bomber. It is flying just below the Vampire, as if trying to make contact.

©1975 Frederick Forsyth (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about The Shepherd

Average customer ratings
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A short story

This is a short story for those that love flying. It was written by a master story teller. I recommend it highly when you need an infusion of awe

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  • Overall
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Fine short story

This is a fine short story for the whole family to listen to. Great for a ride to Grandpa’s house on Christmas Eve.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Classic Story, Great Reading

A classic Christmas ghost story, by the estimable Frederick Forsyth, shivery but touching, quietly and atmospherically read.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Aviation History

A thoroughly enjoyable historical fiction. Recently the inspiration for a made for TV movie you can view on the Disney + Channel. A delight for me as a retired commercial pilot was seeing John Travolta playing the part of the Shepherd. Anyone interested in aviation history, WWII, and/or having piloting experience will certainly enjoy this story and the performance of the reader; 5 Stars all the way! I commend the author for conveying the physical and emotional effect of losing all electrical power and instrumentation would have on a pilot young or older. In the older pre-digital aircraft I grew up flying such situations do sneak up on you. Only training, experience, and a calm disposition gets you home in one piece. I look forward to reading more books by this author!

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Really good

This is the first Frederick Forsyth I’ve ever “read” although I’ve always wanted to try one. I really enjoyed the story and the narration.

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My Favorite Story for Christmas Eve

Where does The Shepherd rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I am a fan of audio books due to a lot of travel in my life. The Shepherd is one of my all-time favorites. I rank it in my Top 10.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Shepherd?

Although he appears late in the story, Old Joe's interaction with our hero is absolutely wonderful.

What about James Konicek’s performance did you like?

Back in the dark ages, I had this story on--wait for it, kids--audio cassette. Different narrator, but the same story. Konicek 's Joe is not quite as good, but he makes "boozy Flight Leftenant Norris" and the Wing Commander come alive.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This is a story of hope, of answered prayer, and of the brotherhood of the knights of the air. Happy Christmas! Tears of joy.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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No mystery, but still fun to read

We as readers find out fairly early what’s going on here, but Forsyth manages to drip out a lot of helpful WW2 RAF history while bringing us to the conclusion we knew in the first pages.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A great short story well narrated

I always loved the book, great story, and loved the audible version. The story is unfortunately short and has no known sequel sadly. Well narrated.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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Quick and sweet

Charming little tale. Nice holiday short story! Good narration. Went by quickly and made me feel cozy by my fire.

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Very Good!!

Ohhhh…goose bump city! Very good story with a lot of suspense leaving you with prickly goosebumps in the end…🪿👊🏻! 🤣

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